Benchmade 550-1 - experiences?

[Comeuppance]

I've been eyeing this model for a while, because I like a good sheepsfoot and especially like knives that don't require touching the blade to open and close (Hawk Lock, compression lock, axis, flippers that are smooth enough to drop-close, etc) - but, I haven't pulled the trigger out of a combination of poor past experiences with axis locks and this model's relative scarcity on the secondary market ($170 is a lot for me right now)

I'm curious about:
> Pivot smoothness: Does the blade on yours swing freely? Can it be middle-finger kicked open satisfyingly?
> Heat treatment: How has the edge held up? I've heard spotty things about Benchmade and heat treatment, especially on steels like M390/20CV that are -capable- of having a high hardness still being run at 58-59.
> Fit and finish: How's the centering / lockup on yours? I've had numerous problems with wiggly blades and poor centering on Axis knives in the past.

 

[Dorkus Buttwhistle]

I have the plain old 550HG, so it’s not exactly the same as the knife in question. I dialed out the blade play and it’s “flickable” to some degree, but if I wanted a free swinging blade there would be some minor amount of play. I can’t comment on the upgraded steels, but the fit and finish is fine by me. Blade is close enough to centered and the axis lock smoothed up after a bit of use and locks up solid.

 

[Dorkus Buttwhistle]

After work I grabbed this knife to double check. It has no blade play and can be flicked open and closed without touching the blade.

 

[BMCGear]

Haven't had the 550-1 but I've had the 551-1 (a couple of times). All were great examples of Benchmade QC and 20cv is awesome.

 

[Evany]

One way or another, all of my Benchmades have been set up for perfect centering and smooth, flickable, but not loose opening and closing action. I've sent 2 back to Benchmade for free "adjustment," and in both cases they replaced a bunch of parts including the blade and sent me back a perfect specimen.

 

[jswa2]

Hey Comeuppance,

I had taken a break from BM's for a year or so and picked up a 550-1 back in November - it's been in my pocket every day since.

* pivot smoothness: this is the first Benchmade I've owned that had a noticeable break-in period. I flicked it incessantly for probably a week before its initial (and considerable) lock-stick went away. Now, it's a dead free-dropper, with just a tick of side-to-side if you really force it (like every other Axis Lock I've owned). I can barely middle-finger flick my PM2, but a thumb-flick works great on the 550-1!

* I can't speak directly to the heat treatment (I don't have a Rockwell indentor handy...), but the 20CV has been a real pleasure so far. I've had the knife out on a handful of weekend camping trips, used it to slice lots of sticks into shavings for fire, cut a couple aluminum cans into pot lids, lots of food prep, etc. The edge has held up really well - I can make a pile of wood shavings and it'll still slice newsprint cleanly. Touches up easily. For what it's worth: I'd previously had a M390 Benchmade (Ritter Grip) that I really didn't care for (it seemed real chippy for me) - the 20CV seems a very different beast!

* F&F: As good as any production knife... I've seen better, and I've seen far worse. The grind was pretty OK, but not great, out of the box. The G10 scales are fantastic and certainly a huge improvement over the basic plastic. Centering is spot on. I put a dab of blue loc-tite on the pivot screw threads when new and haven't touched it since. See above comment about break-in.

Keep in mind, of course, that I am only representing a sample of one. Additionally, I don't buy my knives (or chainsaws or trucks or whatever) thinking about resale value - I buy 'em to use, and the 550-1 has been a real asset in that sense. I don't think I've carried anything else since buying it! Finally, I don't think that Benchmade has done anything to update or change the fundamentals of the Axis Lock over the years - by that I mean: don't expect your past issues to be mollified because your spending money on something new and expensive. It's same-old, same-old, but with sweet steel and a rad handle! Good luck!

 

[uxo2]

I have owned 2 and they were tight and centered.

But once broken in. Smooth.

 

[u812]

I have the 551-1. As soon as it got here I took it apart,polished the hardware,polished the washers with flitz and treated them with Miltec-1. Put it back together with a replacement Emerson clip and sharpened the edge at factory angle on my WE all the way out to .5 micron. It was nice out of the box but after tweeking it is just about perfect. Butter smooth action,free swinging blade with 0 play. I have gotten the same results on my other 2 Wilkins Ritter grips. Have a 556-1 and another Emerson clip coming Saturday that I will do the same with.